Traverse Theatre unveils 2016 Fringe programme

The theatre, known for its focus on new writing, will host ten world premieres this summer from a wide variety of performers and playwrights, incuding faces both new and familiar. Daniel Kitson follows last year's Fringe show Polyphony with the Scottish debut of Mouse – The Persistence of an Unlikely Thought, while this year's flagship production Milk is the first full play by Ross Dunsmore. Directed by Traverse artistic director Orla O’Loughlin, the piece is a product of the venue's Open Submissions scheme, which will run again from 1 August to 30 September. Application details can be found here.

Julia Taudevin's new work Blow Off receives its first outing this summer, described as a piece of 'guerilla-gig-theatre' and produced in collaboration with composer and former Zoey Van Goey singer Kim Moore, and Susan Bear and Julie Eisenstein aka indie-pop duo Tuff Love. Also among the world premieres are In Fidelity by associate artist Rob Drummond, Greater Belfast by Matt Regan, Expensive Shit by acclaimed writer and director Adura Onashile and The Red Shed by Mark Thomas, while The Royal Shakespeare Company present the Scottish premiere of Alice Birch's Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.

Traverse Bar Café will also host a 'theatrical hair of the dog' on Monday mornings during the Fringe, as the Edinburgh-based Village Pub Theatre, in association with Traverse Theatre Company, present script-in-hand performances of brand new plays. On 8 & 15 August there are panel discussions courtesy of TalkFest 2016, and the venue will also proudly host the award ceremony for the James Tait Black Prize for Drama 2016 – a £10,000 prize given to the best new play worldwide.

The ever-popular Breakfast Plays also return from 16 August, featuring performances of new works written by the theatre’s associate artists Rob Drummond, Morna Pearson, Tim Price and Stef Smith. Breakfast Plays: Tech Will Tear Us Apart is a series of script-in-hand readings, giving festival-goers the chance to enjoy breakfast with their ticket.